Top Three Sets to Catch at Susquehanna Breakdown
If you haven’t seen the lineup for Susquehanna Breakdown yet, well, you’re in for a treat! The festival is run and curated by the bluegrass outfit Cabinet, and this year they’ve pulled together all their friends in the bluegrass and jam scene for a wonderful weekend of music in their hometown of Scranton on the beautiful Montage Mountain. The lineup features Railroad Earth, The Infamous Stringdusters, Twiddle, Larry Keel Experience, Fruition, Driftwood, and Flux Capacitor among many more. Of course with so many friends coming together, there’s bound to be some very special sets that you definitely should not miss. Here are our top three sets you absolutely must not miss; that’s not to say you shouldn’t be pumped for the headliners, but these deserve some special attention. These three sets combined with the rest of the outstanding lineup is enough to get anyone excited. If you haven’t gotten tickets yet you better act fast because they’re nearly gone!
Cabinet & Keel
Larry Keel is described as the most powerful, innovative and all-out exhilarating acoustic guitarist performing today. He’s known as the flatpicking guitar champion and quite frankly a bluegrass legend. This won’t be the first time the two have combined forces; as you can see from the video they came together at Mad Tea Party Jam in 2013. Keel regularly collaborates with Americana giants Yonder Mountain String Band, Railroad Earth, Greensky Bluegrass, Infamous Stringdusters, and Keller Williams among many others, so you never know who else will jump up on stage with throughout the weekend. This set is definitely going to get everyone in the crowd dancing.
Pappy & Friends
Another special set that will take place during the weekend is Pappy & Friends, fronted by Cabinet’s banjo player Pappy Biondo. Banjo figures largely into the music, and his picking skills will come as no surprise to fans of Cabinet. Pappy & Friends sets engulf you in story-like songs that he delivers with his signature entrancing vocals. You may think you’re in for a bluegrass fueled set due to Cabinets repertoire, but you’ll be pleasantly surprised with the earthy rock and folk undertones. Pappy & Friends don’t get together all that often, so be sure to put this one in your schedule.
Twiddle
This may not be a set unique to Susquehanna, but as we’ve been telling everyone for quite some time now Twiddle is a must-see act, no.matter.what. Riding high off the release of PLUMP Chapter 1 and with a newly-acquired tour bus for their spring tour, these boys are taking their already amazing sets to an entirely different level these days. The Vermont quartet perfectly blends a combination of jam, funk, reggae, bluegrass and jazz in a way that literally makes you want to melt into a puddle and dance your ass off at the same time. On top of being incredible on their own, they love to have all their artist friends sit in at their festival sets, so you never know who may pop in.